Issue 14, 2022

Eco-friendly fabrication of organic solar cells: electrostatic stabilization of surfactant-free organic nanoparticle dispersions by illumination

Abstract

Earlier reports have discussed the manifold opportunities that arise from the use of eco-friendly organic semiconductor dispersions as inks for printed electronics and, in particular, organic photovoltaics. To date, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) plays an outstanding role since it has been the only organic semiconductor that formed nanoparticle dispersions with sufficient stability and concentration without the use of surfactants. This work elucidates the underlying mechanisms that lead to the formation of intrinsically stable P3HT dispersions and reveals prevailing electrostatic effects to rule the nanoparticle growth. The electrostatic dispersion stability can be enhanced by photo-generation of additional charges, depending on the light intensity and its wavelength. This facile, additive-free process provides a universal handle to also stabilize surfactant-free dispersions of other semiconducting polymers, which are frequently used to fabricate organic solar cells or other optoelectronic thin-film devices. The more generalized process understanding paves the way towards a universal synthesis route for organic nanoparticle dispersions.

Graphical abstract: Eco-friendly fabrication of organic solar cells: electrostatic stabilization of surfactant-free organic nanoparticle dispersions by illumination

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
06 Jan 2022
Accepted
21 Mar 2022
First published
23 Mar 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale, 2022,14, 5569-5578

Eco-friendly fabrication of organic solar cells: electrostatic stabilization of surfactant-free organic nanoparticle dispersions by illumination

P. Marlow, F. Manger, K. Fischer, C. Sprau and A. Colsmann, Nanoscale, 2022, 14, 5569 DOI: 10.1039/D2NR00095D

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